Happy Halloween

Pumpkin lit....check!

Decorations up...check!

Kid approved treats by the door....check! check!

Complete meltdown of 5 yr old and the mother....check!

3yr old refusing to wear cutest Dash costume....check! check!

My favorite husband dressed in Oilers gear....double check!

Dog ate the feather boa off my witch costume....check again!!

Husband taking kiddos trick or treating....check!

Cold bevy poured for moi.....check!

Enjoy this Spooookalicious evening. Wahahahahah!!

Thoughts for the Day

"Keep my words positive:
Words become my behaviors.
Keep my behaviors positive:
Behaviors become my habits.
Keep my habits positive:
...Habits become my values.
Keep my values positive:
Values become my destiny.
-Mahatma Gandhi

This completely hit my heart.

I struggle with being positive...especially towards my self. Maybe I should have this tatooed on my head...heart...arm.

Treasure Hunt

Monday morning and there is snow on the ground. I really wanted to sleep in...like until 10. (Bahahah!!! So funny!) Sometimes, Monday mornings are a little trying. The weekend is over. My favorite husband is back to work. And...it's just the pressure...knowledge of the busy-ness of another week that slows me down first thing on a Monday morning.

Today was the same as all others. Except for the snow and an early morning blissful bubble bath during which no boys came in asking to join me. Wuhoo! How did I manage that? W was tucked into my bed watching Star Wars lego movies on You tube and Bup was in the living room watching Finding Nemo. Hello! Here I come bath tub!

Afterwards the boys had much needed hair cuts. I have been cutting their hair lately and it was "ok" but time for a professional do. Which is really funny when you see Bup's hair! He is a delight at the salon. Really. I sit with him on my knee, cross my legs over top his, wrap both my arms around him and hold on for dear life! He SCREAMS at the top of his lungs as he sobs and struggles, yells "THIS IS STUPID!", while the stylist just buzzes his thick, thick hair off. It's the only way now! He used to cry the whole time but sit....now there is no sitting and the screams are murderous. This child is so stubborn and HATES having anything done to him. Wiping his nose? It's kinda the same routine. So, it's a buzz cut for him and really I could do that at home if someone would just hold him down!

Afterwards, we came home for the boys to enjoy a Treasure Hunt while I prepared lunch. They loved the Treasure Box!

The decorative box is filled with dry macaroni, popcorn, rice and lentils. Hidden in the bottom are tiny toys....letter beads, animals, sea creatures, baby bottles, babies, sea shells, buttons, and any other tiny item of interest I could find.

A great sensory activity. A great way to keep them pre-occupied for at least15 minutes. Clean and inexpensive too! They liked it so much that W has asked if his friends could come over and play with the Treasure Box and Bup has asked again to play with it. Poor fella had to nap instead!

What interests me? The way the boys "organize" their treasures.

Bup is showing linear tendencies like his dad! All his butterflies lined up. All his shells grouped together and he fed the tiny naked baby her tiny bottle. Also, at first Bup would bury his hand in, come out with nothing and say, "I can't do it, Mom."

W? All grouped in a large pile. The faster he could find them the better!

And now...it's time to wake Sir Bup in order to retrieve W from kindergarten. Once home, the Treasure Box will be opened again.

Spookalicious Decor

It's so fun to see the neighborhood decorating and getting into the spirit of all things ghouly for Halloween. Some is very spooky! We're pretty low key compared to the neighbors with tombstones and flapping bats and spider webs, etc, etc. However, we the spooky spirit reigns here!

The Insane Asylum sign cracks me up. First, it's so accurate! Second, I came home for a tea date with my sister to find it hanging on our door. My favorite husband!

The wreath was created with an old berry wreath, black spray paint and some dollar store snakes.

It's hard to tell in the pic but on the mantle there are also tiny, squishy mice. Tina likes them too so they're kept up high. There was also a leaf holding mice and spiders on the desk...but Bup found those!

What ghoulish decor is gracing your home this week?

Life with a Dog

We are still adjusting to life with a dog. However, it's gone quite well all things considering.

She has only had two "accidents" in the house, both of which my darling husband cleaned up. Ya gotta love him for that alone!

Miss Tina is more and more accepting of the boys and quite loves when they give her belly rubs. Well, lets be real here. Bup YELLS that she wants a belly rub but won't give her one and W is more than happy to rub her bare, skinny belly.

The downside of living with a greyhound....besides, being the fat chick walking a skinny dog....well, to put it lightly....

She STINKS!

This dog has the smelliest bodily functions...gas...toots.."EEEWWWWW you fooooted!!!" as Bup says. UGH! I can hardly stand it. It's nauseating.

I thought living with three "boys" and their bodily functions was bad...ya know, R announcing that he had a "BIG HOT DOG POOP!" at dinner to guests....but this is gag-me-with-spoon type of stuff.

Must sign off.

Must find gas mask.

So Smitten Photography

This gal is a fantabulous photographer!

Check her out here.

Also she is booking for fall/christmas photos now, so if you, your family or your kiddos are in need of an updated, stylistic photo, do get in touch with Miss Lara.

You will be smitten with the results!

Parenting Pitfalls

It feels as if this past week or so I have lost any parenting skills that I think I may have had.

Tantrums....by all three of us.

Anger, frustration...are abundant here.

While tucking in W for his morning nap....yes we are back to morning naps since the boys are getting up at 530 again...& this afternoon kindergarten business is just wrong, wrong, wrong....I was reciting in my head over and over again, with gritted teeth, "I am peace and joy. I am peace and joy. I am peace and joy...." Hoping this mantra would take over and release the anger and frustration that is oozing from my pores.

All this anger certainly doesn't help the boys. Or my housekeeping skills.

Isn't it just sinful to wish the days of "to be seen and not heard" were real? That was a mantra when I was growing up....from both my father and my grouchy grandmother, Granny D.

Now, I know that generally speaking I have the sweetest, smartest little boys on the planet, but at the same time, their antics drive me bonkers. So, I freely admit that my frustration stems from within.

(As I vent here, one little boy has made his way to my bed for his morning nap after crying and crying in his own. So there are cute fluffy cheeks, and sad tear stained eyes laying on the pillow beside me.)

Okay, so I get that these feelings are my problems...not my childrens'. Now what do I do? How do I conquer this? Any suggestions, oh parenting gurus out there in cyber land?